Filing machine



April 3, 1945.

B. GROB FILING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Benjamin Grob I INVENTOK ATTURNEY B. GROB FILING MACHINE April ,3,l 1945.

Filed Jan. 30, 1943 4 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Benjamn Grab INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 3, 1945 B, GROB ,2,372,826

FILING MACHINE' Filedl Jan.- 50, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Benjamn Grob B. GROB FILING MACHINE April 3, -1945.

Filed Jan. 50, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Benjamin Grob INVENT OR.

ATTORNEY `of various metal objects.

Patented pr. 3, 1945 UNi'iED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,372,826 FILING MACHINE Benjamin Grob, Grafton, Wis.

Application January 3D, 1943, Serial No. 474,083

(Cl. 29h-7,6)

15 Claims.

This invention relates to :filing or abradlng machines of the continuous motion type.

Machines of the type referred to are now extensively used throughout the metal working arts to give a desired contour and or finish to parts Such machines ordinarily involve a longitudinal succession of rigid ling or abrasive elements attached to a continuously driven endless carrier by which they are advanced past or through a piece of work, the ling or abrading action being effected by pressing' the piece' of work against the rigid elements as they are thus mechanically advanced.`

There are kinds of work however for -which such machines, as heretofore designed, are not adapted or capable of use. That is to say, in some instances, the size or shape of the work piece, or the peculiar location thereon of the part to be led or abraded, renders the same inaccessible to the moving les or abrasive elements of such machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a filing or abrasive machine of the continuous motion type so constructed as to render the filing or abrasive elements more readily accessible to the work at hand.

Another object is to provide an endless file carrier for ling and abrasive machines of the type mentioned capable of following paths of maximum deflection.

Another object is to provide an endless le carrier for iiling and abrasive machines of the type mentioned so constructed as to permit mounting the filing or abrasive elements on the back or inner side of theA carrier.

Other more specific objects and advantages will appear, expressed or implied, fromthe following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

For purposes of illustration and explanation the invention is herein shown as embodied in a machine specially designed to le the rear marginal surfaces of turbine vanes, although the same may be advantageously utilized in ling and abrading machines for various other kinds of filing machine constructed in accordance with L the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on a larger scale, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

scale as Fig. 2, taken substantially along the lines 3-3ofFigs.1and2./

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal sectional view, illustrating the course of the file chain during a ling operation.

Fig. 5 is an inner face view, partly in section, of the iile chain shown in the other views. Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary, top plan views of the work piece illustrating the method' of Vindexing the same.

The filing and abradin'g machine selected. for illustration is shown arranged toflle theV rear marginal faces of the -successive'vanes a ofv a turbine wheelb. These vanes, which project radially from the periphery of the wheel, a're'of substantially concave-convex contour and 'arranged in close succession so that the curved spacesv therebetween are rather narrow and difficult of entry. j k

As originally formed Athe several -vanes a terminate in'edges c of substantialthough narrow width, as best shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7,- but in order to eiect eicient `turbine operation "it is necessary that these edges be reduced to knife edge form, such as indicated at c'l in Figi 4, this being accomplished by filing away the rear vmarginal face d, at each sideof each vane,` in'such manner as to leave marginal facesrd"'disposed at a predetermined angle with respect tothe plane `of rotation of the turbine wheel. l

This ling operation on .the rear marginalfaces of each vane was heretofore laboriously performed by hand. But by the use of the machine herein shown, this ling operation is now mechanically performed with great saving in time and cost.

The machine shown comprises asuitably supported stationary table I Il, and a hollow head section I I, supported above 'and by the -table Ill through an open rectangular column I2.

A vertically disposed disk I3, xed to the iront face of a vertical mounting' plate I4; is provided with a peripheral ilange I 5 whichforms a seat for the peripheryof the turbine wheel b, which in this instance constitutes the workpiece. The turbine wheel b is shown centered and supported by a hollow cylindrical bushing I6, carried by the center of the disk I3 and projecting horizontally therethrough into a central opening e with which the turbine wheel is provided, the opening e being of a size to provide a close rotating t on the bushing I6. f

The turbine wheel b is removablyretained on the bushing I6 and against the lianged disk I 3 by appropriate means, such as a shouldered disk Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the same 55 I1 removably seated in the opening e of the turbine wheel and yieldably retained in place by a spring urged rod I8 which extends through the disk I1 and bushing I6 and which is provided at its rear end with a head I9 slidably fitted in an end 20 of a cylindrical housing 2|. The housing 2| is shown xed to and projecting from the rear face of the mounting plate I4. Nuts 22 on the forward end of the rod I8 bear against the shoul dered disk I1, and a compression spring 23 within the housing `2| acts against the head I9 of the rod, so that the latter, acting through the nuts 22, yieldably retains the shouldered disk I1 and turbine wheel b in the position shown in Fig. 3.

The rod I8 may be advanced against the thrust of the spring 23 to release thedisk I1 and turbine wheel b, suitable mechanism being provided for the purpose. In this instance such mechanism includes a vertical shaft 24 rotatable inthe end oi the housing 2| and provided at one side with a recess 25 which normally clears the head I9 of the rod I 8. .Shaft 24 is provided with an appropriate operating lever 26 which :extends forwardly to a. point within convenient reach .of the operator and which may .be swung to rotate the shaft `2li and thus force the rod I8 forwardly by a `cam action. With the rod I8 thus advanced, the disk I1 may be removed therefrom, the disk having .a radial slot 21 Lfor that purpose'and after removal of .the disk I 1, the turbine wheel b may be readily withdrawn from its supporting bushing i8.

The turbine wheel b is normally looked against rotation by means which also functions as an indexing mechanism therefor. The mechanism hen-einshown for that purpose comprises a vertical shaft 28 disposed abovethe center of the t rbine Wheel 'b and :loumalled inV apair .of vertically spaced bosses 29 formed integral with vand projecting forwardly from -the .vertical mounting plate I4. The shaft 28 carries a driving pinion Sllxed theretoand closely confined between the bosses v28 coacting with .the latter to prevent lengthwise movement of the shaft relative to the turbine 'wheel b. SThe central axis of the shaft 28 is disposed radially of the turbine wheelbut preferably slightly offset laterally from the central plane of the turbine wheel for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

."I'he shaft 28 carries at its lower end a pair Ioi diametrically disposed downwardly projecting cylindrical lugs 3| l,zairranged to coact with a series of rectangular lugs f .with which the turbine wheel shown .is equipped. In this instance .each of the turbine vanes a carries one of the lugs f, each projecting radially from a central portion of a vane end. The pair of lugs 3| on the shaft end normally loosely straddle a vane lug and contact the opposed faces of adjacent vane lugs f, as shown particularly in Fig. 6, to temporarily lock the turbine wheel against rotating.

The arrangement is such however that by rotating `the shaft 28 in a clockwise direction, las indicated by the arrow in Fig. 7, one of the shaft lugs 3| engages what was the straddled vane lug f and advances that lug and the turbine wheel toward the right a distance equal to the centerpoint, spacing vbetween varies; and4 during this shaft rotation, the other shaft lug 3| swings clear of the former straddled vane lug f and ultimately engages the leading face of an advancing vane lug to again temporarily lock the turbine wheel against further advance. The fact that the axis of the lug-carrying shaft 26 is laterally offset from the central plane of the turbine wheel, as here inabove pointed out and as` Aindicated in Figs; 6 and '1, makes it possible `for oneof the shaft lugs 3| to swing clear of the former straddled lug l during each advance of the turbine wheel in the manner above described.

The locking and indexing shaft 28 may be intermittently rotated through exactly one hundred and eighty degrees in the manner above described by any appropriate means, but that herein shown has proven entirely satisfactory. In this instance the shaft 28 is driven by the pinion 30 hereinabove mentioned, which is in constant mesh with a. driving gear 32 twice its diameter and intermittently driven through exactly ninety degrees by a well known type of Geneva movement, best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This movement includes aconventional radially slotted star wheel 33 and coasting-mutilated disk 34 and driving pin 35. A vertical shaft 36 journalled in the head section Il of the machine carries the gear 32 and star wheel 33, both xed thereto. The mutilated disk 34 and driving pin 35 are fixed to a conventional crank arm 36' xed :to and driven .by a vertical shaft 31. For -a purpose which will later appear the shaft 31 extends upwardly from the table I0 through the head section I'I. It is supported by a thrust bearing 38 and is continuously driven by any appropriate means (not shown).

Through the mechanism just described the locking and indexing shaft 28 is driven through one hundred and eighty degrees during each complete rotation of the `shaft 31, each `such rotation of the shaft 28 being completed within a brief time interval much shorter 'than the intervening periods of rest thereof.

vDuring 'the filing of each turbine vane a. the turbine wheel remains in the loiverposition shown in Figst and `3 and, after completion of each such iiling operation, the turbine wheel is elerated to clear the ling mechanism below it, indexed in the manner above described to bring the next vane into position, :and thereafter again lowered to position said newly positioned vane within the range of operation of the filing mechanism. For this purpose the mounting plate M;

carrying the turbine wheel, shaft '28 and pinion 33, is vertically movable along a vertical shaft or column 39. In this instance the column 39 exten-ds upwardly from the table I0 to and through the head section II, and the mounting plate i4 is provided with rearwardly projecting upper and lower mounting ears 48 through which the column 39 extends and withwhich the latter has a close sliding fit. To retain the mounting plate Ill against swinging about the column 39, the plate is provided with a forked extension 4| which embraces a. vertical guide rod 42 provided in the head section il. A stop collar 43 adjustably xed on the column 39 beneath the lower mounting ear 4U supports the mounting table in the lower position shown.

Provision is made for automatically raising and lowering the mounting plate I4 at predetermined intervals, the mechanism shown for that purpose comprising a horizontal disk 44, xed to and rotatable with the shaft 31, and carrying an upstanding peripheral cam portion 'l5 which coacts with a roller 46 carried by a horizontal stud 45 projecting rearwardly from the mounting plate i4. The arrangement is such that, as the cam 'l5 rotates fwith the shaft 3l it engages beneath the roller 46 and lifts the mounting plate I4 to an elevation, as indicated in vdotted lines in Fig. 3, where it is heid during indexing movement of the turbine wheel, after which the cam 45 passes from beneath the roller 48, permitting the mounting plate I4 to return to the lower position shown.

'Ihe filing mechanism shown comprises a drum 41 journalled upon a vertical spindle 48 fixed to and projecting upwardly from the table I0. The periphery of the drum 41 is preferably provided with a covering 49 of rubber or the like to afford a good driving surface for the le chain to be later described. In this instance the drum 41 is continuously driven by appropriate means, including a pulley 58 carried by the lower end thereof, pulley `5i! being belt driven from a small pulley 5| which in turn rotates with a large pulley 52 belt driven from a small pulley 53, and which in turn is driven from an electric motor 54 through a belt 55 and large pulley 56 which rotates with pulley 53.

The filing mechanism also includes a continuous file chain preferably such as will now be described. As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the file chain is of wide flat form having relatively short, closely articulated inner and outer links 51 and 58 along each edge thereof, each of said links at one edge of the chain being rigidly connected with corresponding links at the other edge there of through transverse bars 59 and 65, respectively. n fact, each transverse bar 68 is transversely bent at its opposite ends to form the outer links 58 and each transverse bar 59 is similarly bent to form the inner links 51. Each outer link 5S at one edge of the chain is hingedly connected to the adjacent inner links 51 by pins 6l, which extend from one edge of the chain to the other land which provide hinged connections between the corresponding links at the other edge of the chain. The several pins e! are retained by appropriate means, such as wire keys 62. The construction thus described results in a chain having an unusually high degree of flexibility in one direction-namely, Aabout the closely spaced hinge pins 5l, and one offering an unusually high resistance to bending, warping or twisting in any other direction.

The file chain shown also includes a series of rigid transversely extending ling elements 63 arranged on the inner face of the chain and projecting beyond the edges thereof. The projecting ends of the several filing elements adjacent one edge of the file chain are cut to provide conventional toothed filing faces 84. each filing element is securely anchored to one of the chain bars 59 by appropriate means such as screws $5.

As shown particularly in Figs. l and 2, the endless iile chain is trained about the driving drum 41 and about a vertical positioning pintle 68, carried by a shaft 61 journalled in an appropriate hollow support 63 fixed to the. table I8. The pintle 68 is horizontally offset from the drum and positioned immediately below the turbine wheel b, adjacent the vanes thereof, so that those upwardly projecting ends of the filing elements 63 having the filing faces 84 pass between successive turbine vanes a as they are carried by the ling chain about the pintle. The ling elements 63 being carried by the inner face of the chain, engage the rubber covering 49.0n the drum l1 and also the face of the pintle 66 as they advance with the chain in the direction-indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4.

The file chain is preferably tensioned by an idler roller 69, best shown in Fig. 4, which bears against the inner face thereof and which is car ried by and between a pair of vertically spaced arms 18 and 1I carried by a hub 12 to form a In this instance lever structure rockably supported upon .a vertical stud 13 projecting from the table i8. A spring 14 urges the arms 18 and 1| and roller B9 in a direction to maintain the le chain in a taut condition. It will be noted from Fig. 4 that the roller 69 coacts with that stretch of the' file chain which is approaching the turbine vanes a and that it s0 positions that portion of the file chain that the several filing elements enter between successive vanes without contacting either of them. This portion of the file chain is preferably further guided by an appropriate guide plate 15, carried by the table lll and bearing against the rear faces of the lower ends of the ling elements as the latter approach the turbine vanes. That stretch of the le chain which has passed about the positioning pintle B5 isso guided and controlled as to effect the desired filing action` upon the rear marginal face-of the adjacent turbine vane. For this purpose a pressure shoe 1S is provided having an end face 11 arranged to contact the rear faces of the upwardly projecting en'ds of the filing elements and to force them and particularly the filing faces 54 thereof into ling engagement with the adjacent turbine vane. In this instance the shoe 16 is mounted on an appropriatecarrier 18 which is swingable about a vertical supporting stud 19 fixed to the table i8. The stud 19 is preferably disposed remote from the shoe 'I6 and with its axis substantially within the plane of the ling action, so that the slight advance of the pressure shoe 16 against the les is substantially a rectilinear motion.

In the machine shown the shoe 18 is advanced against the files by a spring 88 (Fig. l) connected to the carrier 18 and table I0, and a stop screw 8l on the carrier coacts with a block 82 von the table I0 to limit the advance of the shoe 16. The extent or depth of the filing action may thus be regulated by adjustment of the stop screw 8l.

Retraction of the shoe 18 from the file chain may be effected in various ways but the mechanism shown for that purpose has proven satisfactory. This mechanism, best shown in Fig. 1, includes a link B3 connected to the carrier 18 at a point beyond its supporting stud 18 and operatively engaged with a lever 84 supported on a vertical stud 84' on the table i0. The lever 84 is actuated by an appropriate cam 85 fixed to and driven by the shaft 31 hereinabove mentioned. The connection between the link 83 and lever 84 is preferably adjustable and for that purpose an element 86 is preferablyprovided, this element being swingable about the stud 1S and having a screw- 81 engageable with the lever 84 .and adjustable to regulate the angular relation between the lever and element, the link 83 being connected with the element 88.

The arrangement is such that when the high portion of the cam 85 engages the lever 84 the latter is actuated to operate the link 83 and thereby swing the carrier 18 against the action of the spring 88 in such direction as to retract the shoe 1B from the le chain. i

It will be noted that thecam 85 as well as th cam 45, hereabove mentioned, are carried and driven by the same shaft 31, so that the lifting, indexing and lowering of the turbine wheel and each filing operation on successive vanes thereof are carried out in definite timed relation, the shoe 16 being advanced by the spring 88, irrimediately after the turbine wheel has been lowered into the range of operation of the ling elements, and the shoe 1B being retracted by the cam 85 and link 83 prior to each lifting of the turbine wheel. i

It is highly desirable, at the end of each filing operation, to withdraw the train of filing elements away from the vane face on which they have been acting in order that they may clear the vanes prior to each lifting of the turbine Wheel. This is accomplished in this instance by the use of a vertical roller 88 (Figs. 1 and 4) which is carried by an arm 89 on the end of the carrier 1B in position `to engage the inner face of the file chain and deflect the latter outwardly whenever the carrier I8 is swung to retract the shoe 16.

Due to the high fiexibilityof the le chain, the individual filing elements 63 are liable to twist or turn out of position in a manner to interfere with their proper entry between successive turbine vanes, with their proper passage about the pintle 66, and or with their filing function. To prevent this objectionable condition each le carrying bar 59 of the le chain is provided at its opposite ends with laterally projecting arms 90 which are formed integral with the links 5l and which have heads 9i at their outer ends which abut those of adjacent arms in a manner to hold the several bars 59 and filing elements 63 against twisting or turning during the straight line courses of the le chain as the latter approaches the pintle 66 and as it lpasses beyond the pintle. Also the outer links 58 of the le 4chain are provided with lugs 92 which project between successive file elements 63 to properly position the latter during their passage about the pintle 68.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention hereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacrificing the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine of the character described haiing Aan endless succession of substantially flat transversely extended filing elements yor the like, an endless carrier for advancing said succession of elements edgewise along a predetermined path, said elements having end portions with abrasive faces projecting laterally beyond an edge of said carrier and means for supporting a work piece within the range of operation of said projecting end portions to be acted on by said abrasive faces.

2. A machine of the character described having an endless carrier, a succession of filing elements or the llike extending crosswise of said carrier and having end portions with abrasive faces projecting laterally beyond an edge of said carrier, means for actuating said carrier, and mea-ns for supporting a work piece within the range of operation of said projecting end portions to be acted on by said abrasive faces.

3. A machine of the character described having a flexible nontwistable substantially wide dat endless carrier, a succession of ling elements or the like on said carrier, said elements being disposed transversely of said carrier and projecting laterally beyond an edge thereof, said projecting elements having abrasive faces, means for supporting and actuating said carrier to advance the projecting lportions of said elements edgewise along a predetermined path, and means for supporting a work piece within the range of operation of said projecting portions to be acted on by said abrasive faces.

4, A machine of the character described having a flexible substantially wide flat endless chain, a succession of filing elements or the like on said chain, said elements being disposed transversely of said chain and projecting laterally beyond an edge thereof, said projecting elements having abrasive faces, means for supporting and actuating said chain to advance the projecting portions of said elements along a predetermined path, and means for supporting a work piece within the .range of operation of said projecting portions to be acted on by said abrasive faces.

5. A machine of the character described comprising a driving drum` a pintle laterally offset from said drum and disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the latter, an endless carrier trained about -said drum and pintle, and a series of filing elements or the like on said carrier, said elements extending transversely of said carrier and having portions projecting beyond an edge of the latter and beyond the end of said pintle, and means for supporting a work piece adjacent but beyond said end of said pintle in position to be acted von by the projecting portions of said elements.

6. A machine of the character described having a pintle, an endless carrier mounted to travel along a path deflected by said pintle, and a series of filing elements or the like on said carrier, said elements extending transversely of said carrier and having portions projecting beyond an edge of the latter and beyond the end of said pintle. said projecting portions having abrasive faces. and means supporting a work piece adjacent but beyond said end of said pintle to be acted on by said abrasive faces.

7. A machine of the character described having an endless succession of transversely extended filing elements or the like, an endless carrier for advancing said succession of elements edgewise along a predetermined path, said elements having end portions with abrasive faces projecting beyond an edge of said carrier in position to act on a piece of work, and means for effecting a relative feed movement between said end portions and the piece of work to effect pressure engagement of said abrasive faces against the work.

8. A machine of the character described having an endless succession of transversely extended ling elements or the like, an endless carrier for advancing said succession of elements edgewise along a predetermined path, said elements having end portions with abrasive faces projecting beyond an edge of said carrier in position to act on a piece of work, and means for forcing said abrasive faces into pressure contact with the work.

9. In a machine of the character described for treating a recessed work piece, said machine having an endless succession of transversely eX- tended filing elements or the like having end portions with abrasive faces arranged to project into the recess of the work piece. and means for advancing said elements edgewise along a predetermined path to cause said end portions to traverse said recess with said abrasive faces against a side wall of the latter.

10. In a machine of the character described for treating a recessed work piece, said machine having a exible endless carrier, a succession of filing elements or the like on said carrier, said elements extending transversely oi said carrier and having end portions with abrasive faces arranged to project into the recess of the work tioned to iiex said carrier to position the latter adjacent said recess, and means for driving said carrier to cause thev projecting end portions of said elements to traverse the recess in the Work piece with said abrasive faces in contact with a side wall of said recess.

11. In a machine of the character described the combination of an endless succession of transversely extended filing elements or the like having projecting end portions, means for advancing said succession of elements along a predetermined path, a work support, means for shifting said work support to shift the Work into and out of the zone of operation of said projecting end portions, and means for indexing the work while out of said zone of operation.

12. In a machine of the character described the combination of a exible endless carrier, driving means therefor a succession of filing elements carried by said carrier, said elements extending transversely beyond an edge of said carrier and having abrasive faces, a narrow element coacting with said carrier to deiect and position the same relative to a work piece, means coacting with said carrier to determine the course of travel thereof as it approaches said last name delement, and means coacting with said carrier to determine the course of travel thereof as it moves from said last named element.

13. An endless chain for machines of the character described, said chain comprising a, plurality of Widely spaced series of relatively short links, hinge connections between successive links of each series, a series of transverse bars each rigidly connecting one link of one series with a corresponding link of another series to form a rigid structure swingable about said hinge connections,

and a succession of transversely disposed filing' elements or the like fixed to said bars.

14. An endless chain for machines of the character described, said chain comprising two Widely spaced series of relatively short hingedly connected links, each series comprising alternate inner and outer links, a series of transverse bars each rigidly connecting each link of one series with a corresponding link of the other series to form rigid units, and a succession of transverse lin'g elements o r the like carried by said bars.

15. An endless chain for machines of the character described, said chain comprising two widely spaced series of links, a line of transverse pins forming hinge connections Vbetween successive links, each series of links comprising inner and outer links, a succession of transverse'bars each rigidly connecting one inner link of one series with an inner link of the other series, a second succession of transverse bars each connecting one outer link of one series with an outer link of the other series, said rst and second named succession of bars being disposed at opposite sides of said line of pins, and a succession of transverse ling elements or the like respectively xed to the bars of one series.

BENJAMIN GROB. 

